Continuing its offensive against piracy of its latest blockbuster, Jawan, Red Chillies Entertainment, through DSK Legal, today i.e. 19th September, 2023 successfully moved the Delhi High Court asking for WhatsApp groups/users and Telegram channels illegally sharing the film to be immediately suspended and deactivated.
The Delhi High Court directed Meta Platforms Inc., the company that owns WhatsApp, to take immediate action to close down the groups being operated by persons both in India and overseas that were identified by Red Chillies in its application. A similar order was passed against Telegram FZ LLC to close down channels identified by the producer. The court also directed WhatsApp and Telegram as well as the mobile network operators Airtel, Idea-Vodafone, Reliance Jio and BSNL to disclose the subscriber information of the phone numbers operating these accounts including the names and addresses of the users, so that legal action can be taken against them.
The court came down heavily on one Rohit Sharma who had been identified by Red Chillies to be illegally selling copies of the film for a paltry sum through WhatsApp. The court directed his WhatsApp number to be deactivated and his WhatsApp group and Facebook and Instagram pages to be taken down. Similar action is likely to follow against admins of other WhatsApp groups and Telegram channels once they are identified.
Red Chillies, through DSK Legal, has also filed a police complaint on 13th September, 2023 with Santacruz police station in Mumbai against Rohit Sharma and other persons who are illegally circulating copies of the film. Action by the police is likely in the days to come, and the possibility of arrest of the persons identified pursuant to this court order cannot be ruled out.
Sources close to the production house revealed that Red Chillies has hired several anti-piracy agencies and agents who are acting as users searching for pirated copies of the film on WhatsApp, Telegram and social media platforms and reporting the pirates.
Following up on its order passed earlier this year in the ‘John Doe’ suit filed by Red Chillies, through DSK Legal, the Delhi High Court also directed some additional websites identified in the application that were found to be hosting pirated copies of the film to be taken down.
Delhi High Court team for Red Chillies in the Delhi High Court:
Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao and Advocate Nizam Pasha along with DSK Legal Partners Ms. Chandrima Mitra and Mr. Parag Khandhar. They were also assisted by Adv. Krishan Kumar.
Team for filing and registering Police Complaint on behalf of Red Chillies before Santacruz Police Station, Mumbai:
Ms. Chandrima Mitra and Mr. Parag Khandhar Partners of DSK Legal.